16 replies to this topic

[IndyB007]

Just ran across this listing in the local newspaper....

"Goldfinger Screening in The Chicago Area" Thursday, February 17 @ 8:00 PM

Any 007 fans in the area going to attend?

[Tarl_Cabot]

Nice! Thanks for the heads up! I live about 25 mintes from there...If I can make it I just may do that...I saw Goldfinger(and FRWL) in a theater once in 2000 and the experience really makes a difference.

[hrabb04]

Hope you get a good print! I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark a few years back on the big screen, and the print was very old.

[Athena007]

Ya guys... something in your neck of the woods! Have fun all of you who will attend. I hope the CBn-ers have a chance to meet up before or after the screening. It would be cool to see a group pic of the Chicago-ites

[Qwerty]

Nice! Thanks for the heads up! I live about 25 mintes from there...If I can make it I just may do that...I saw Goldfinger(and FRWL) in a theater once in 2000 and the experience really makes a difference.

Hey, very cool! Hope you can catch this Tarl (as well as all the others who are planning!).

[IndyB007]

Man....
Now it looks like I'm going to have work that evening... doh!

[Athena007]

Nooooo! Maybe you could sneek away for a couple hours...

[Qwerty]

In Chicago, Bond comes first, work always comes second.

[GreggAllinson]

Count me in.

[Athena007]

Anyone able to attend? Thoughts?

[IndyB007]

Alas, I did end upu working that evening... I'll keep my eyes open for any more 007 movies playing in the area though...

[Qwerty]

Count me in.

Tell us how it is GreggAllinson. This would be one of the best to see on the big screen.

[Donovan]

I've actually seen this film three times in the theater, twice in Chicago.

The first time (by far the best) was the 30th anniversary screening in L.A. held at the Academy's (Oscars) plush screening room in 1994. This was purportedly a brand new 35mm print struck from a/the negative. Certainly the quality was first rate. One friend of mine had the worst seat in the house...he sat behind Richard Kiel. I found myself sitting one seat away from Peter Hunt. John Stears was also there. Before the film started there was a clip of Pierce Brosnan presenting Cubby Broccoli with the first "Goldeneye Award" from the Ian Fleming Foundation (accepted by Michael Wilson as Cubby was ill).

Then the film played. The first Bond film I saw in a theater was "Octopussy". The previous Bonds I had only seen on video. And the widescreen versions I had only recently seen for the first time on video via Laserdisc. So to experience "Goldfinger" in a theater was like seeing it for the first time. The sound and picture were crisp. Every time there was something gold on the screen it was dazzling. That was a great event. (incidently, Raymond Benson was not sitting far away, and he could hardly contain his laughter when all the servicemen dropped to the ground as the planes flew over "gassing" them. He explained later that the scene always makes him laugh).

The second time I saw "Goldfinger" was an unexpected bonus. When I returned to Chicago I found out a small art house theater was having a Bond marathon over the course of a week (stretched to two weeks due to popular demand). So it turned out I was able to see all the films on the big screen. Again, you pick up things you never saw or heard before in a theater. This theater, the 3 Penny Opera, was located across the street from the famous Biograph Theater where John Dillinger was gunned down by the FBI. The 3 Penny was okay, except occasionally you'd hear radio interferrance in the sound system from local cabs. I remember during "Dr. No" when the Mr. Jones bit into the cigarette, someone brilliantly figured out what was happening and yelled "cyanide!!!"

Finally, Navy Pier occasionally shows classic films at their IMAX theater. So I saw "Goldfinger" there when it played. Even though the screen was IMAX, the picture was only as large as it was designed to be in a conventional theater.

Even though I was downtown for the latest screening, I was very busy and frankly didn't feel up to going up north to see it. I have 16mm prints of a couple of Bonds ("Thunderball" and "Diamonds Are Forever") and would love to have one of "Goldfinger"...but the price is waaayyy to expensive for me to consider.

[GreggAllinson]

Saw it. Decent print, smallish screen, smallish crowd. There were some brief technical difficulties with the sound that were fixed up fairly quickly. I've not yet read Goldfinger, but- I hate to say it- the movie really didn't blow me away, especially with its ridiculous portrayal of Felix Leiter (yeah, OK, Jack Lord wasn't the literary Leiter, but at least he was someone you could take seriously as Bond's best friend and American countepart). Any time I saw Pussy Galore's Flying Circus, images of Terry Gilliam animation floated through my head. I saw From Russia With Love on DVD the night before and was much more impressed by that.

[Qwerty]

Ah, this was your first time seeing Goldfinger? Alot of fans seem to favor the movie much more over the novel.

[IndyB007]

I'm not fond of the 3 Penny either... the Biograph is okay, but I would love to see a Bond marathon at Navy Pier. That would actually make me want to go downtown! But my preferred venue would have to be The Music Box Theatre....

[Donovan]

I've talked to the Music Box about Bond. Years ago they also had a marathon but said it wasn't very successful. I've also asked them about screening my print of "Thunderball" but they aren't set up for anamorphic.